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Thursday, 8 March 2018

Land Use Charge: NBA gives Ambode 7 days to reverse ‘hell tax’

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja Branch, says its would march against the revised Land Use Charge if Governor Akinwunmi Ambode failed to reverse the “hell tax”.

The new law will expect property owners in Lagos State to pay an increase of over 200 per cent in Land Use Charge even when the income of the property owner has not experienced significant increase to justify the charge.
There is also a penalty payment ranging between 125-200 percent, if payment is not made between April and August, 2018.

The revised law has attracted criticisms from several quarters, including the organised private sector.

Chairman of the NBA, Ikeja Branch, Mr. Adesina Ogunlana, told newsmen on Wednesday that protest will start from the Branch Secretariat in Ikeja down to the Lagos State Secretariat in Alausa.
He disclosed that the march had been tagged “Hell Tax Must Go”.

Ogunlana said: “Few weeks ago, Lagosians woke up to learn about the hyper-inflated rate of the so called “Land Use Charge” which the Governor of Lagos has escalated upwards 400 percent.

“Recently, one of our colleagues who regularly pay the sum of under N140,000 as LUC for office building received a notice of the LUC demand, he is now to pay the amount of N2 million.

“If these tax rates are allowed, Lagos state would be turned into a ‘Toxic Environment and a living hell’ for Lagosians.”

Ogunlana warned that the increase in property tax of the LUC will have an adverse effect on all other services as owners of properties and services will automatically transfer other financial burdens to their customers.

“My view is that the government of Lagos State has lost sync with the difficult and harsh realities of life of the people of Lagos and has taken their support and goodwill for his government for granted.”

“Life will become not only too expensive but volatile and dangerous.

“The government cannot hide under “Developing Lagos into a Mega Smart City” to kill Lagosians with Pharaoic Taxes,” the legal practitioner said.